Share this article

HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP

It was only after Money Mail intervened that Apple agreed to refund the full amount of £133.83 to Kitty.

Her story is a warning to parents about how easy it is for companies to help themselves to the money in children's bank accounts without them realising — and that the unusual payments may not be picked up by banks.

Kitty, who plays the drums, discovered the Beat Maker Go app via an advert on Snapchat, a picture messaging service popular with teenagers.

Snapchat targets users with adverts based on their interests. It has more than 12 million daily users in the UK, about a quarter of whom are under 18.

Users must be 13 or over, but Kitty was able to open an account despite being only 12.

With no mention of prices in the advert, Kitty assumed the app was free. She clicked on a link which took her to the Apple iTunes App Store and downloaded it.

Once it was installed, she was instructed to enter her email address to set up an account.

Kitty used the email address linked to her Apple ID account, which she rarely checks. You need one of these to use an iPhone.

Users can keep their bank details stored in their Apple ID account so they can purchase apps or music.

But Kitty says she would never pay for an app. Like her friends, she just uses free social media services on her phone, such as Snapchat, or plays games.

There is no indication about the charges of Beat Maker Go until you scroll to the bottom of the page on the App Store.

How to keep children safe

Set up parental controls on your child's smartphone to block or restrict in-app purchases and block any transactions.

On an iPhone, go to 'Settings', 'General', then 'Restrictions'. Tap 'Enable Restrictions'. Create a passcode. You can also set a PIN on Androids and BlackBerry phones.

Some apps allow you to control the sites your children can visit. NetNanny, for example, scans websites to determine whether they are appropriate, based on the preferences you set when you install the app.

Users are then presented with a confusing price list.

For example, 'Full Access to Pro Features' appears six times but the cost ranges between £1.79 and £35.99.

Gismart, the maker of the app, says this list includes weekly, monthly, annual and lifetime payment plans.

Even though she deleted the app a few days later, Kitty was charged £6.99 a week once the trial ended.

She was not aware of this until her bank statement arrived three months later.

She says: 'I thought, woah! Where has the money gone? My dad said I should have been more careful. But I honestly thought it was a free app.'

Gary says he takes an interest in what his daughter is doing online but also wants to give her freedom.

He says: 'I didn't appreciate how easy it is for companies to take money from children without them realising. It's creepy.'

The Rycrofts went to their local branch of Halifax, which told them to raise the matter with iTunes.

But Gary struggled to find an email or postal address for iTunes. When he tried to phone them, he says he was kept on hold and struggled to get through.

When Money Mail contacted iTunes on the Rycrofts' behalf, it agreed to refund the entire amount of £133.83, which included additional payments.

Tony Neate, from Get Safe Online, the cybersecurity initiative, says: 'I find it incredibly worrying that companies are able to bury the fees and charges where children won't look.

'They know children won't delve into the terms and conditions because many adults don't.'

Jordan Swain, from Swain Brands, a digital campaign agency, says companies are increasingly using social networks to target teenagers.

'The costs might not be advertised in such a short space, but offers such as 'free trials' need to be made absolutely explicit,' he says.

Gary says he is going to help Kitty set up online banking, so she can check her account whenever she needs to.

He also plans to put safeguards on her phone to allow him to monitor any online spending. Kitty has now removed her bank details from her iTunes account.

Halifax says it has 'stringent controls' across all its current accounts to protect customers from unauthorised transactions.